Comb-cleaner.



J. NASSAUER.

COMB CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913 1,089,070, Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

WITNESSES MM666L566) ENTOR ymr/mbzm v BY get COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WA$HING c.

JULIUS NASSAUER,

COMPANY, OF DOYLESTOWN, 0

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 OHIO COMB 8:; NOVELTY HIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COMB-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Application filed January 6, 1913. Serial No. 740,561.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS NASSAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Comb-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in comb cleaners, and is designed to provide a simple and eflicient instrument for removing accumulations of dirt from between. the teeth of combs, particularly the type of combs known as hair combs. Such combs are usually provided with two sets of teeth customarily termed coarse and fine teeth. Sometimes the coarse and fine teeth are on the same side of the comb, and, again, combs are made with coarse teeth on one side and fine teeth on the other, or the comb is made with one type of teeth throughout. The dirt accumulates between the teeth at the bases of the teeth and also on the adjacent sides of the teeth, and if the comb is not cleaned for some time the accumulations often become quite hard, especially at the base of the teeth.

The present invention provides a platelike structure with an edge, and in some forms opposite edges, roughened or toothed so as to readily remove hardened accumulations of dirt between the bases of the teeth of the comb, and in order to prevent injury to the comb, the roughening is usually produced by a succession of spaced notches formed in the edge of the plate, so that there are no pointed projections liable to injure the structure of the comb. For very fine toothed combs the flat plate with edge notches is sufficient, but for the coarser toothed combs such plate will not remove accumulations on the adjacent or facing portions of the teeth of the comb. To provide for this last condition the plate is corrugated adjacent the toothed or roughened edge, thereby increasing the etfectlve thickness of the plate at such points, so that when drawn between two adjacent teeth of the comb, the sides of the plate will engage alternately with the facing portions of the two teeth. These corrugations extend from the edge of the plate into the body of the late a suitable distance and the remainder of the plate may be plain. Moreover, the corrugations are not perpendicular to the edge of the plate from which they extend,

but are arranged at a slight angle thereto, so that there is a shearing effect of the corrugations upon the dirt adherent to the sides of the teeth. Moreover, the notches forming the roughened or toothed edge of the plate are so related to the corrugations that a notch is made to coincide with the crown of a corrugation and the next notch coincides with the valley of the corrugation with reference to one face of the plate or the crown of the corrugation with reference to the other side of the plate, this giving a suitable set to the teeth where the plate is corrugated. The plate may be provided with a handle portion along one edge or at one end, or the handle portion may be omitted and the plate may have corrugations and a plain portion both on the same edge or the corrugations may be along one edge and the plain portion on the opposite edge, both the corrugated and the plain portion being toothed.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as defined by the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is an elevation of a structure embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the structure embodying the present invention but differing in some respects from the showing of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the corrugated part of the structure. Fig. 4 is a section on the line fi:*4 of Fig. "5.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a plate or lamina-form structure 1 in Fig. 1 and a. plate or lamina-form structure 1 in Fig. 2. In both instances the plate is made of sheet material and is in the main flat or plane. In the structure shown in Fig. 1 one edge of the plate has formed therein a series of notches 2 defining teeth between them, which teeth have bluntpoints 3. The notches 2 are relatively quite shallow and the blunt pointed teeth are quite small. In

the structure shown in Fig. 1 the edge opposite that provided with the notches 2 is formed into a handle portion a which may be done by simply bending the flatplate into a cylindrical bead of a suitable diameter to be readily held in the hand of the user. In the structure shown in Fig. 1 the plate 1 is provided with a series of parallel corrugations 5 extending from the notches 2 toward the handle 4 at a slight angle or inclination to the edge having the notches 2. Each corrugation is separated from the next one by a valley representing a corrugation on the op posite side of the plate and the first-named corrugation represents a valley on said opposite side of the plate. The corrugations are so related to the notches 2 that the ridges are coincident with every other tooth and the valleys are coincident with the intermediate teeth when viewed from either side of the device. In Fig. l a portion only of the length of the plate is corrugated and the remainder is plain, but the notches extend the full length of the partially corrugated and partially plain edge. In Fig. 2 one edge is corrugated throughout and the opposite edge is plain, while both edges have the notches produced therein. In Fig. 1 the device is adapted at the corrugated end to cleanse coarse toothed combs, while at the other end it is adapted to fine toothed combs. In Fig. 2 one edge is designed for coarse toothed combs and the opposite edge for fine toothed combs. In Fig. 2 the plate 1 has a perforation 6 near one end intermediate of the notched edges and this perforation may be employed for attaching a handle to the corresponding end of the plate, or it may be employed simply for hanging the device upon a suitable support.

The association of the corrugations and notches causes the teeth between the notches to be in staggered relation or have a set somewhat similar to suitably set saw teeth, wherefore they will the more readily dislodge any hardened dirt which may be found between the teeth of combs at the base of the teeth. The corrugations cannot well be used for fine toothed combs since it would necessitate the employment of a very thin plate for the body of the device, while these combs may be readily cleansed with the plate thick enough to resist bending under normal conditions of use.

In the structure shown in Fig. l the bending of the plate is further resisted by the handle portion 4 which operates as a stiffening means for what may be termed the back edge of the device. Of course, the handle portion 4 need not be in one piece with the plate for any ornamental backing may be used where the question of expense is not material.

The invention is susceptible of manufacture as a one piece structure readily stamped out of sheet metal and hence can be made at but a slight advance of the cost of the sheet material of which sheet aluminum is found to be very serviceable, but any other metal or non-metallic material of requisite stiff ness may be employed. The blunt teeth formed by the spaced notches 2 are not only effective for the purpose, but present large wearing surfaces which greatly prolong the useful life of the device without injury to the combs which are customarily made of nonmetallic materials or soft metals and which would be liable to injury were any sharp portions brought into forcible contact therewith.

WVhat is claimed is l. A comb cleaner comprising a plate-like structure with an active edge notched to form a series of teeth, and the body portion provided with corrugations extending to and including the toothed edge, each corrugation being of a width to include a plurality of teeth and the latter being set or staggered with relation one to the other.

2. A comb cleaner comprising a platelike structure with marginal notches forming teeth of uniform size throughout, with a fractional portion of the toothed margin provided with corrugations extending back into the body of the structure and each corrugation being of a width to include a plurality of teeth set or staggered with relation one to the other by said corrugations.

3. A comb cleaner comprising a platelike structure with an active edge notched to form a series of teeth, and the body portion provided with corrugations extending to and including the toothed edge and inclined with respect thereto, each corrugation being of a width to include a plurality of teeth and the latter being set or staggered with relation one to the other by said corrugations.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS NASSAUER. Vitnesses ALEXANDER MENKE, Gno. R. THOMSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. G. I 

